The present invention relates to vehicle radiation detection systems, and more particularly to a system for detecting and monitoring noncompliant interstate transportation of radioactive materials.
Vehicle and rail radiation detection systems that detect the presence of radioactive materials in vehicles containing scrap metals or waste materials are known. The systems are typically installed at metal recycling centers or waste dumps to monitor vehicles entering the site to ensure that no material being dumped emits radiation above a certain level. Examples of such systems include the Vehicle and Rail Radiation Detection System by Rad/Comm Systems of Valparaiso, Ind., and the Vanguard System by ThermoEberline of Santa Fe, N. Mex.
These systems typically include a microprocessor controller and large detector assemblies mounted on each side of a vehicle pass-through such as, a or railroad track. In operation, a truck or rail car passes the detectors and the data collected by the detectors is transferred to the controller. If the detected radiation levels exceed a certain threshold, the controller emits an alarm to alert an operator. In the Vanguard system, the detected radiation levels collected by the detectors are continually printed as a graph on a paper tape for viewing by the operator.
Although such systems effectively inform an operator of radioactive loads, the systems have disadvantages. One problem is that there is no association between the plotted radiation levels and the vehicles passing-through the system. That is, the operator has no way of knowing which radiation levels on the graph belong to which truck.
Another problem is that once a vehicle sets off the alarm and the vehicle leaves the site, there is no way to monitor the whereabouts of the vehicle. Finally, little or no thought is given to how the information about the vehicle should be used or communicated to proper authorities.
Although current detection systems protect against the dumping of noncompliant materials such as radioactive waste, these systems fail to protect against illegal and noncompliant interstate transportation of such materials. The present invention addresses such a need.
The present invention provides a method and system for detecting and monitoring noncompliant interstate transportation of materials. The method and system include providing a detection and monitoring network whereby multiple ports-of-entry are each equipped with a detection system that is in communication with a central computer. The detection systems are then used to detect levels of a material in vehicles passing through the ports-of-entry. The method and system further include associating the levels of material detected for each vehicle with the respective vehicle, and saving the vehicle material levels on a computer. The material levels detected at each port-of-entry are then uploaded to the central computer for monitoring and review.
According to the method and system disclosed herein, the present invention associates the detector data with the appropriate vehicles and allows the proper authorities to be notified of vehicles transporting noncompliant and/or illegal payloads across state and national borders with minimal manpower.